


Girls, Tanks, and Resonance Cascades

by AAHW



Category: Girls und Panzer, Half-Life
Genre: Dystopia, Gen, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:26:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24160531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AAHW/pseuds/AAHW
Summary: The Combine are the lords of Earth. It has been nearly twenty years after their victory in the Seven Hour's War and those that survive live to suffer under their oppression. In a world utterly transformed for the worse, Miho Nishizumi along with her big sister just do what they can to get by. Yet for the younger Nishizumi, she will not tolerate the status quo
Comments: 7
Kudos: 2





	1. Welcome to City-33

**Author's Note:**

> For people who have been following me because of Dust Devils, let me answer some questions that you might have.
> 
> 1\. Since you're starting another fic, does that mean Dust Devils is getting fewer updates?  
> \- No, it'll still be updated twice a week until further notice.
> 
> 2\. Since you're starting another fic, does that mean Dust Devils is near completion?  
> \- Lmao, no.
> 
> Lastly, I've taken some liberties with the Half-Life/ Girls Und Panzer canon to make this crossover work.
> 
> Enjoy!

The mood in the city was always the same ever since the occupation began. Dismal. Even on days where clouds danced across the sky and the sun shining brilliantly, such things did nothing to assuage the moods held by each and every citizen of City-33. It was impossible to feel any positive emotion when you see your occupiers everywhere, from posters on the walls, patrols on the streets, to that monstrosity at the center of the city that dominates the skyline. The Combine's presence was everpresent and was thoroughly a part of the citizen's lives. This has been the status quo for nearly twenty years, the outcome of a war that lasted only a fraction of a percent of the time. Seven mere hours. It only took Combine forces seven hours to subdue all the militaries of Earth due to their advanced technology and that their invasion was sudden, totally unexpected. There was really no way for the governments of Earth to prepare a meaningful defense in any capacity as they were already preoccupied with something else. Portal storms. Occurrences of otherworldly nature. When they manifested, they had this blue color, something that would otherwise give off a calming aura, but these portal storms were anything but tranquil. They spread devastation wherever they formed, moving across the land much like a terrestrial storm. In addition to the carnage, these storms brought forth lifeforms from a bizarre place that humanity would soon learn that it was called Xen. Xen is neither a planet or a dimension, but a plane of existence that serves as a border world between dimensions. The creatures that came from that place were ghastly things. Seemingly, each organism from Xen seems overtly hostile to humanity. It is through these portals that the Combine soon exploited to launch their invasion and subsequent occupation of Earth.

Once the brief yet extremely destructive war was over, humanity surrendered to the Combine. This was undertaken by a man named Wallace Breen who managed to find a way to contact the Combine. Because of that, he was instructed to negotiate surrender at the behest of the United Nations. Sensing that he has been presented with the best opportunity in all of human history, he used it to secure power and was designated by the Combine as the 'Interim Administrator' of Earth. His face is plastered on posters and on huge holographic screens around the world, ensuring that every human left alive knows who he is. While he does wield immense power, he is nothing more but a puppet of the Combine who bends to their will. His administration is situated in City-17 within a citadel. Every city that hasn't been utterly destroyed during the Seven Hour War has been used by the Combine to house the surviving populations of humans, with such cities having citadels of their own. Though, the one in City-17 is the most important as it is essentially the 'capital' of the world. City-33 is one such place where it has its own citadel. Formerly Tokyo, it is where the Combine houses their center of operations for the island of Japan. One-and-a-half miles high in the sky, it was impossible for the citizens of City-33 to not feel its presence. The construction of City-33's citadel was not a process that went smoothly, much to Combine's chagrin. Japanese resistance groups did whatever the could to halt construction, though due to disorganization and the general lack of proper equipment, they failed. But some success was achieved. In involves the destruction of a certain receiver. It wasn't a communications receiver as such a thing would be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. The receiver they destroyed considerably delayed the implementation of the suppression field in Japan. This field completely prevents the human reproduction cycle, bringing the population growth to a half. The suppression field emanates from the citadel in City-17, which then relays it to other citadels around the world. When the resistance groups destroyed the suppression receiver, the field, for a time, was done. People in Japan were free to 'get busy' and they did indeed. What resulted was a baby boom with the last babies being born right before the suppression field was now operational. This made Japan the only place in the world where a portion of its population can actually be described as 'youths'. With the appearance of so many children impossible to hide, punishment from the Combine was inevitable and immediate. Every child was tracked down and taken away from their parents. The moment news spread that families were being separated, it sent parents into hysteria as they did what they could to hide them. Yet it was all futile. The Combine detained every child that was born from the baby boom and segregated them from their parents, setting up an enclave in City-33 where they were housed. There, none of them could leave to see their parents just beyond the walls.

It is here in this enclave where Miho Nishizumi is contained with her sister in an assigned housing block. Their days all blended together as there was a depressing monotony. There wasn't anything to do as they, along with the other children, were confined to their enclave. Their housing unit was in shabby shape. The walls were stained, windows dirty, furniture looking like they were days away from collapsing, their wooden floor creaking with each step they took. They did have a little television set, though it only played one thing. Breencasts. Every so often, Breen would deliver some message which was broadcasted worldwide on any device that would receive them. Today, Breen was making another one of his broadcasts. Miho was watching, sat on a crate just a few feet away. He spoke in English but to get the message across, it was subtitled in Japanese.

_"Good morning, evening, night, wherever you are. As administrator, I have this obligation to be prudent regarding ongoing affairs. As such, I am delighted to announce that as a result of heavy discussions with Our Benefactors, they have agreed to permit Civil Protection to set their own curfews in the cities they operate in. Furthermore—"_

Maho turned off the television.

"I've had enough of him." she said.

"They're gonna change curfew?" Miho wondered aloud.

"Doubt it," Maho said apathetically. "If they do change it, they'll just make it tighter."

They both shared a sigh.

"You're probably right," Miho remarked with dejection. "We'll be lucky if they don't make any changes to curfew at all." She stood up from the crate she was sitting up and made her way to the door. "Well, I'm going for my walk now. Something that I can actually choose to do."

Maho approached her sister and hugged her.

"Be safe, okay?"

"I'm always safe. I've gone on my walk every day, with those cops only stopping me once."

"One of them smacked you in the head hard with their baton."

"Yeah...I remember. I think she was with them but was just watching. She joined Civil Protection around that time."

"She?"

"You know, E—"

Maho put her fingers on her sister's mouth.

"You will _not_ speak her name when I'm around. She's dead to me."

"I'm sorry," Miho said. There was some discomfort in her voice. "It nearly slipped out."

"I know...it's hard...everything is hard. Enjoy your walk. I'll be here, as always."

With a respectful nod, Miho departed their housing unit, closing the door behind her. She descended down the stairs, her sounds echoing throughout the building, and walked out the entrance. The sun was high in the sky and was already making its way down to sink beneath the horizon. She walked down the street, making sure that she stays on the sidewalk. Civil Protection will stop and beat anyone on the slightest provocation, so she always walked on the sidewalk to be on the safe side. On her walk, she passed by other people similar to her age. Their faces looked like stone. No emotion at all. Every now and again, she'd spot members of Civil Protection. They would either be on patrol or standing by the entrance of some building as their colleagues perform their 'duties'. Miho walking by such a building, which laid across the street. The cops outside watched her walk by, as she looked toward the windows on the second floor where she saw shadows moving rapidly. She didn't have to think for too long to know what was happening within and kept moving. She had now traveled for several blocks in relative peace when a voice sounded behind her.

"Miss Nishizumi!"

Turning around, Miho found Yukari nearly running up to her. Yukari was one of the friends she has made ever since she and Maho have been relocated to the enclave. Seeing her was always a delight, providing a sparkle to a life that is otherwise dim.

"Yukari. How are you?" Miho greeted as the pair shared a quick embrace.

"The same as last time," Yukari replied. They were now walking together. "Bored. With some periods of terror on occasion. I enjoy having our walks together, Miss Nishizumi. It gives me something to look forward too."

That comment drew a smile from Miho.

"Likewise, Yukari. Likewise. How are things with Saori, Hana, and Mako?"

"They're fine. Fine as anyone can be."

Being 'fine' in the situation they are in is the same as surviving. It was the best condition anyone could hope to achieve.

"Oh! Miss Nishizumi, I've been exploring an old library that is right by where I love and found some interesting things." Yukari mentioned

"Like what?"

"I've found some old material about Ooarai Girl's Academy. The school I would've attended if...things weren't like this."

"It would've been Korimorimine for me," Miho responds with sadness. "Me and my sister."

They got quiet for a moment.

"So, uh, what specifically did you learn about Ooarai?"

"Just general things. What fascinated me was old pictures of the school ship. Normal pictures of people going about their business. Of students going to class. It gave me a feeling of nostalgia which is odd because I born after the war. When everything changed."

"Mmm. I get what you mean. Seeing pictures like that makes me feel weird."

As they continued their walk, a small group of Scanners flew above, flying cameras essentially, performing their regular patrols. Then they felt the heavy footsteps of a Strider, walking in the distance. Though feeling these vibrations and seeing them in person many times previously, the intimidation it gave off never waned. The wall that surrounded their enclave was at the end of their walk, so they made a right turn. Looking around, Yukari was then hit with an idea.

"Miss Nishizumi, why not explore a building? To do something different?" she proposed.

Miho looked unsure.

"Um, I don't know. It's risky."

"It is, but do you really want to do the same things every day?"

Miho entered into a quiet period of intense contemplation. She took in a huge breath.

"I don't. Let's go."

Pleased at convincing her, Yukari led Miho to a building that looked promising. Looking down the street both ways and looking up to the sky, to see if anyone were watching them, they entered the multistory building. It was in a decrepit state. Eons worse than the housing units that they live in. Pieces of debris were strewn all over the floor, with each step they were making crushing a piece of rubble or smashing a shard of glass. The room they were in was something like a large hall, with a massive skylight above them, glass long gone. Marble pillars, stained, and crumbling, served as supports for a staircase just nearby.

"A beautiful place in better times," Miho remarked.

Yukari hummed in response. The two ascended the stairs, passing but an opening in the wall that looked like it once held an elevator. On the second floor were rows of office cubicles, or what remained of them. Each cubicle was given a quick look to see what they contained. It was junk for the most part. The air when they breathed it in felt damp. Looking around and Miho saw a pipe that has burst down through the ceiling, dripping water for God knows how long. In one cubicle that Yukari happened to look into, resting by the computer surely dead, was a newspaper. Curious she carefully picked it up as it has aged considerably though still legible. It was dated a few months before the war, a time capsule in a way. She read the paper and spotted an article that made her grin from ear to ear.

"Miss Nishizumi!" she called. "Check this out!"

She quickly made her way over to her.

"What did you find?"

"A news article about sensha-dou!"

Miho was handed the paper where she read the article Yukari was referring too.

"Sensha-dou," she echoed. Her heart felt heavy. "My family has history with that sport. We were renowned for our style."

Yukari's eyes lit up like lightning.

"Ah, Miss Nishizumi! You never mentioned to me before that your family were so involved!" she exclaimed

"The subject never came up. Though, it seems you are already very familiar with the sport."

"I am! In my little adventures in the libraries, I've read book after book about the sport and the tanks that are a part of it! T-34s, Shermans, Panthers, Tigers, StuGs...oh! I'd do ~anything~ to see those magnificent machines in a sensha-dou match!"

As Yukari was gushing about armored vehicles, Miho was deep in thought. All the talk about talks has made the wheels in her mind turn into overdrive. With a grin, she turned toward her.

"Yukari, you've said earlier you found some things about Ooarai Girls Academy, right?"

"Ah, yes!"

"Did you find anything about the last known location of their school ship?"

Yukari looked confused for but a moment.

"Uhhh, no. I didn't. But I haven't explored every inch of that library. The info you seek could very well be in there. But why?"

"Oh, I'm just curious. Would you mind when you go back to that library try to look for it?"

"Will do!" Yukari said with a salute.

"Thank you. And also try to find out where was the last known location for Korimorimine's school ship, if you can."

"Sure thing!"

"Thank you again, Yukari, though please, don't put yourself at too much risk."

"Oh, don't you worry about me Miss Nishizumi. That place might as well be a second home."

Comforted, the pair ascended more stairs and made their way onto the roof of the building. There, they snagged themselves not a magnificent view of the city, as that would mean they liked it, but an impressive one all the same. What dominated their eyes was the citadel. It reached so high into the sky that it cut through clouds that happened to fly by. Occasionally, where civil unrest flares up, huge panels of the building would move to unleash hordes of Scanners and other flying menaces to pacify whatever was causing the unrest to erupt in the first place. Looking away from the citadel and one could see the Tokyo harbor. A sight that would've been beautiful had there been water in the harbor. The Combine's rampant exploitation of the Earth's resources has, among other things, severely lowered the sea level. What was Tokyo harbor was now just the sea bed, dried, and devoid of life. It was approaching dusk and that told the girls one thing; time to go home. If they don't leave soon they'll be violating curfew and that is the last thing on their minds to do. Walking down the stairs, Miho then stopped dead in her tracks with Yukari bumping into her. She began to ask why she stopped by Miho forced her hand over her mouth. They weren't the only ones in the building.

"Overwatch reports two possible Level 3 Civil Privacy violations. Locate and dispense malcompliant citations."

The garbled voices and jargon were the tell-tale signs of Civil Protection. Their breathing slowed to a crawl as Miho silently motioned to Yukari to go back up the stairs. As they moved, the cops on the ground floor began to fan out.

"Authorization to suspend negotiations?" one asked.

"Deliver verdicts only if possible violators are Code 94."

"10-4."

The girls hurried their way up the stairs as quietly as they can. Though, with the fear gripping them, it made some of their movements jittery. So much so that for Yukari tripped on one of the steps, a sound that echoed throughout the building.

"Overwatch! Confirming one Level Three Privacy violation!"

Miho yanked Yukari forward.

"To the roof! Hurry!"

"Two violators confirmed! They're 505, 505!" a cop reported as they all began to scramble up the stairs. Pumped up on fear and adrenaline, the two girls raced up to the roof where Miho closed the door and put on the lock bar. Just a few moments later, it rumbled violently as the cops tried to force it open.

"What do we do, Nishizumi?" Yukari asked in a panic.

"One second..." she responded looking around frantically. Looking at the building next to them, she saw that they were situated very close to each other. As were the other buildings in the neighborhood.

"We...we jump from rooftop to roof! We lose the cops that way!"

Yukari looked at her as if she had two heads.

"Miss Nishizumi...you can't be serious!"

"It's the only thing I can think of. I don't want to face them." Miho said, pointing to the door still rumbling.

Yukari looked into the distance, her breathing quickening when she felt Miho squeeze her hand.

"We can do this."

Looking right into her eyes, Yukari felt secure and confident. She nodded.

"I'm with you."

They both walked back to get some distance and then, together, entered into a sprint toward the edge of the building. Just before the drop, they jumped and landed onto the building next to them. They were thrilled they made it but couldn't afford to stop now. They kept running and jumping to one rooftop to the next. At one rooftop, Miho pointed to the door of the roof access.

"You go down back to the street!" she said, breathing heavily.

"What about you?"

"I'll jump a few more buildings and make my way home. We ~will~ see each other later, okay?"

"We will!"

Yukari went quickly to the door and closed it behind her. Now by herself, Miho went across more rooftops, each time tiring her more and more. At one rooftop, at random, she entered the building and carefully made her way down the stairs. She moved slowly to listen to her surroundings. The only thing she heard was her own labored breathing. Satisfied that she was the only person in the building, she made it to the ground floor and peeked out a window. There were some metrocops making their way to the building her and Yukari first entered. She waited for a bit to ensure that they were fully gone and departed the building. Instead of running back home, drawing suspicion, she calmly stuck to the sidewalks and entered into a leisurely stroll. She was just a block away from making it home when then a voice from right behind.

"You there! Citizen! Face me."

She turned around at once, fingers twitching. A metrocop has stopped her.

"You're about to violate curfew. You better be on your back to your housing unit."

"I am, I am."

"Good. I'm going to do another sweep around the area and I better not catch you outside when I do."

Miho turned to walk home, but before actually going, she cocked her head to the side to say something to the cop.

"No matter how much you modify that vocoder, I still know it's you, Erika."

Erika was glad there was a mask covering her face.

"Get...get moving!"

Miho complied with her commands and walked back to her residential building. Erika watched to make sure that she did what she was told and remained standing where she was. She was going through a whirlwind of emotions that she wished she had the time to process but her headset had to came alive.

"Officer Jury-12, report to nearest CP for equipment recalibration."

Erika looked at one of the windows of the residential building. She was looking at a figure on the window, silhouetted against the light within the room they're in. She felt it in her bones that this person was looking back at her, who then brought down the window's blind. She sighed heavily.

"10-4. En-route."

Climbing up the stairs, Miho made it to her floor and entered her housing unit. Inside, Maho went right up to her.

"You're cutting it close with the curfew, Miho."

"Sorry. Yukari and I got lost in conversation."

"Mmm. Just be more vigilant about that, alright? I don't want this happening again. I was getting very worried, especially since something is getting all the cops riled up. Though, I'd be angrier with you if this didn't arrive while you were gone." Maho said, presenting a folded piece of paper in her hand. Miho jumped in the air with glee.

"Another message? From mom?!"

Maho shushed her.

"Oh...right. Sorry."

"Let's sit on our bed and I'll read it out loud. I haven't read it yet."

Though the enclave all the children were in was surrounded by a wall, determined parents managed to smuggle things for their children. For Miho and Maho, their mother sent messages whenever she could find the opportunity. It times like this that they truly felt like children. Maho cleared her throat and began reading out loud the letter.

"My dearest darlings. Your letter to me has found me well. I've read it again and again, with smiles and tears, and stowed it safely with the others. They give me the strength to keep going, hearing from you two. The day will come when we will hold each other in our arms again. I don't know when or how, but it will happen. The bond between a mother and her child will make it so, for it is more powerful than anything in the universe. I hope that since your last letter, things have been going as well as things can be. For me, things have been going okay. There hasn't been an inspection at our block for some time now, which put some people here at ease but has made others paranoid. I'm a bit of both. But don't worry too much about me. Your main focus ought to be each other. Stay by side no matter what. Miho, Maho, I love you both with all my heart. Till we write again."

Once she finished reading, Maho folded back up the letter neatly and stored it in a safe place, as their mother did.

"I miss her, Maho. It's been years since we've last seen her."

"Don't even remind me," she said stoically. "The day we got separated still aches my heart."

The then readied for bed. Neither of them had any sleepwear. The only attire they had was the blue denim boiler suits that everyone on Earth had to wear. The lights were turned off and blankets pulled over them as they laid in bed. Maho held her sister close to her.

"Will we ever see mom again?" Miho asked quietly.

"She said it in her letters," Maho replied, staring up at the ceiling. "We _will_ see mom again."


	2. Clandestine Research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Research is done and a plan is hatched.
> 
> One hell of a gamble.

What happens when books are stored in less than ideal conditions? They, of course, deteriorate. Without the diligent care of librarians and a lack of climate control, books are at the total mercy of the elements. The paper bound in such books become incredibly fragile. In some of the more serious cases, it can completely disintegrate when the slightest amount of movement is placed upon them. The Combine, as it turns out, did not come to Earth to enjoy the extensive literary works of all the human civilizations spanning back centuries. They don't care, and with how everything was, neither did humanity. It's hard to enjoy a book when at any moment your home could suddenly come under a raid by civil protection for some arbitrary reason. Though, in the enclave of City 33, there was at least one person who is taking the time to do some reading. The proper term, however, would be researching.

In the archive room, Yukari was hard at work rummaging through the plethora of newspapers that this library has stored prior to the war. An arduous task that she was beyond grateful that she had someone along to help her out. If only she wasn't sleeping.

"Wake up, Mako!" Yukari scolded, shaking her shoulder. "Haven't you slept enough today?"

Mako muffled something. Her head was resting on a pile of newspapers that she was supposed to go through.

"Come again?"

"I said," Mako said with a weary voice. Her eyes were droopy. "Sleep is one of the few things I can choose to do."

"Well, you can _choose_ you go through these newspapers."

Mako sighed and picked up one of the newspapers and read through it. "I doubt anything from the 1930s will help us out here."

"No, no," Yukari said. "Too old."

"Even if we find the location of Ooarai's school ship...what can we do with that information?"

"Miss Nishizumi has a curiosity that I am more than happy to satisfy."

"Satisfy her...I'm sure you would." Mako mumbled under be her breath.

"What's that?"

"Oh, nothing. Hey, ah, hand me some more newspapers. I'm done with this pile."

Dutifully complying, Mako was given another pile of newspapers and began to sift through them. All the while, Yukari was in another part of the room going through more material. During her search, she managed to find something that made her eyes widen a little. Underneath some papers that been long knocked down the floor, was a large book.

"Ooh, an atlas. That'll come in handy." she remarked.

She only managed to go through some pages when then Mako spoke with an unusually excited tone.

"Hey! Take a look at this!"

Moving over to her, Yukari was presented with a newspaper that Mako has singled out.

"Look at the date," Mako said. "It's the day the war started."

Yukari was handed the paper and stared at it. She was silent for several moments. "Yeah, it is. But before the war _actually_ started. It must've gone to print and distribution just mere hours before the invasion. When things were all nice and normal."

She flipped through some pages and read all the articles within. It was things that would have been boring for her, but since it was from an era totally alien to her, fascinated her nonetheless. One section of the newspaper then caught her undivided attention.

_Port Departures_

"We're on to something here."

This section of the newspaper detailed all the departing ships from the city's port. She quickly read through all the names of the ships and gleefully pointed on one name in particular.

"There it is! The _Zuikaku_! Ooarai's school ship!"

Mako rose from her chair and leaned in close to Yukari's ear.

"Yell a bit louder and even Doctor Breen would hear you. So, keep it down please?"

"Right," Yukari said, all hushed, face red. She resumed looking at the newspaper. "Now, ah, according to this list the _Zuikaku_ departed port at midnight that day. Not too long after it leaves, the world goes to hell. So, assuming the ship got caught in all the action, it's probably—"

"Sunk and in the bottom of the ocean. Mystery solved. Shall we go, now?" Mako interjected.

"It hasn't been sunk."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"As I was saying, assuming the ship got caught in all the action, then it is no more than a few hours out from the coast. And, since the Combine has been using the planet's oceans, the odds are good that the _Zuikaku_ is not underwater, but laying derelict on a dry seafloor."

Mako contemplated that for a long moment then slowly showed a nod. "Hmm. I can kinda believe that. But how far exactly?"

"Eh, that's a bit harder to say...except...hold on."

Yukari returned to the atlas she has found and raced through the pages where she then stopped on a page showing a map of Tokoyo and the surrounding areas. She tapped on a particular feature.

"That's the harbor that the ship departed from. Now, if I remember right, the _Zuikaku_ travels at a maximum of twenty-five knots, and from all the stories I've heard, the invasion started at 2:38 AM our time. So, if the ship came to a stop once under attack, then it only traveled for two-hours and thirty-eight minutes away from Japan. Twenty-five knots is forty-six kilometers, roughly. So, in that amount of time, then the _Zuikaku_ is approximately one hundred and fifteen kilometers away from Japan. Is my math correct?"

Mako stared blankly at her. "Um. Spot on."

"Of course," Yukari then said. "This is all assuming that it _did_ come under attack and not continue sailing to wherever it was sailing. In that case, it could be anywhere and truly be sunk. Or just meandering on the surface of the sea like a ghost ship," She looked at the atlas for a moment longer. "No matter. We have, at least, a good idea where it could be. Now, for Korimorimine's ship."

Mako let out a groan. "I thought we were just looking for Ooarai's ship!"

"Let's just get to it, please?"

Mako scoffed at her and went through the same newspaper that listed Ooarai's ship. Going to just the next page did her demeanor change.

"Oh. It seems like I have found the ship. The _Graf Zeppelin_ , isn't it?"

"Uh, yes? Wow! You found it already?" Yukari said, amazed. "Where is it?"

"California."

The grin on Yukari's face had utterly vanished. "America?" she uttered with shock.

"The ship is destroyed. No question about it."

"Yeah...so...our work is done here?"

"It is. Thank you, Mako, You're help was invaluable. Shall I walk you home?"

"No need. You should take what you've found back to Miho. Can't keep her waiting for too long."

"Right, right. See you later then." Yukari said. Mako gave a pleasant wave and made a quick departure. Yukari remained for just a second and tear off the section of the newspaper that had the relevant information, tucked it safely into her pocket, and left the library as discreetly as the two of them arrived. Back on the streets, she made her way to the apartment that Miho and her sister lived in, careful to not attract any undue attention from civil protection, though luck had more to do with any of it than skill. Still, having been on such walks countless times before, she was particularly worried and entered the housing block. Ascending a few floors and walking across a neglected hallway, she knocked on a door and patiently waited. Within the moment, she heard a lock be disengaged and the door slowly creaked open. Peering her head out ever so slightly, once Miho saw it was Yukari, she flung it open.

"Ah, Yukari! I haven't seen you since our little...escape. Are you okay?"

"Heh, I'm fine, Miss Nishizumi. No metro cop has bothered me since then."

"Same with me, so I think we're in the clear."

"Good," Yukari remarked. She reached into her pocket and got out the piece of paper. "So, I've found what you've wanted."

"The school ships?" Miho asked.

"Yes! May I come in?"

Miho nodded and gestured her friend inside. She led her to a table and some chairs and the two sat down.

"Where's your sister?"

"Out getting the weekly rations."

"I see. So! Eager to see what I've found?"

"Of course!"

"Alright, check this out," Yukari unfolded the paper and showed it to Miho, who read through it.

"No way...it left port the day of the invasion?" Miho remarked with astonishment.

"That it did."

"Incredible. I don't even want to think about what those people were going through when the war came to their ship," Miho shuddered slightly. "If...If it left port just a few hours before the war, then...it can't be too far from Japan, right?"

"I actually thought the same thing and made some rough estimations. I've concluded that the ship is around one hundred and fifteen kilometers away."

"One hundred and fifteen," Miho echoed. "That's several days of walking..."

"Eh? Walking? You are not seriously thinking-"

"Maybe I am."

"Miss Nishizumi," Yukari said, voice strained. "Actually going to the ship is a...a insane idea! It's kilometers of walking over what is essentially now a desert. Not to mention to even _start_ walking, you'd need to get out of the Enclave."

Miho had her hand on her chin, thinking. "My sister and I send letters to my mom and she sends her own as well. They get smuggled through the walls."

"Letters are one thing, people are whole other level."

"There's got to be a way. All we have to do is to talk with the right people."

"Miss Nishizumi, what has gotten into you? Why do you have this...obsession with Ooarai's ship? I just thought you wanted to know where it was to satisfy your curiosity."

"And that's true. But, there was something more. Come here," Miho then said. Yukari was led to a window and the blinds were open. The window showed City-33 with its Combine infection. In the sky flew scanners and some helicopters, the sound of their rotors could faintly be heard. The Citadel dominated the skyline. Its ominous presence intimated them to their core. "This is no way to live, Yukari. Under constant fear that you could be arrested and be beaten, abused, and god knows what else they do to people. It's not if, but when. When will it be my sister, or me, or you, or anybody else you care about? I can't let this be the rest of my life. I just can't."

"Miss Nishizumi..." Yukari began but her voice trailed off. She understood that what Miho was feeling was a sentiment shared by everyone. Everyone wanted to do something about it, but they were all too scared to actually do something to resist. As she has said, people have been taken by civil patrol and were not seen again. Now, here she was, her demeanor one of deadset determination. This wasn't just talking. "What does Ooarai's school ships have to do with anything?"

"I don't know much about it. But I do know this. Ooarai had a sensha-do team."

"Sensha-do?" Yukari remarked with intrigue. "Do you mean what I think you mean?"

"I mean it. Get to the ship, find the tanks on board, repair and rearm, and fight the Combine."

"Miss Nishizumi, I...I should tell you that the ship could very well be farther away than I guessed. It could be too far to walk to."

"There is only one way to find out."

"What good can tanks older than us do against them?"

"Yukari, I see two futures. One is where you and I live in this Enclave until we are old women, with each day being the exact same. Another is where that Citadel is under artillery fire with the Combine leadership inside preparing for a last stand. I know what future I prefer. What about you?"

Yukari looked back to the window, mind awash with thought. She was fixated on the Citadel. The picture Miho painted for her was one that had a certain beauty to it. To see the monstrous structure ablaze would be the greatest day this city would have ever seen. She turned to Miho and grinned.

"I am with you, Miss Nishizumi, all the way. We are gonna need some help. I know some that will...others...will need some more persuasion."

"We can't force anyone, Yukari. They need to understand the full risks involved.

"I know. So, when do we start?"

"Tomorrow. I want to spend the night thinking about it more. You get a list in your head of all the people who could lend a hand."

"You got it!

"Oh, and, not a word to my sister. No way will she like this."

"Understood."

As if on cue, the door was opened and entered in Maho, carrying a bag of rations.

"Oh, I didn't expect that we'd have a visitor." she commented.

"I'm sorry," Miho apologized. "I should have told you that Yukari was going to drop by some time today, it just slipped my mind."

"It's fine," Maho said as she stored the rations in a nearby cabinet. "So what's the occasion? A social call?" She moved toward them then noticed the piece of newspaper on the table. "Hmm, what's this?"

Yukari and Miho flinched as Maho grabbed the paper and read through it.

"Did you dig this up?" Maho said to Yukari.

"Yes...yes I did."

"Interesting...why?"

"Your sister wanted to know about the fate of Ooarai's school ship. I was just doing the kind thing and finding that out for her."

"I see..." Maho said in a near whisper. "Well, is it sunk?"

"I don't think so. It didn't travel too far on the account that the invasion started just a few hours after it left port."

"Hmm. Alright. And, Miho," Maho said, turning to her sister. "You were just curious about their school ship?"

"Ah yes, Yukari was talking about Ooarai the other day and it got me thinking."

Maho turned back to Yukari.

"And what of Korimorimine's ship? You ever find out where it was before the invasion?"

"California."

Maho covered her mouth and stayed silent. "It's gone, then."

"Gone, like destroyed?" Miho asked.

Her older sister nodded.

"How can you be so sure?" she then asked.

Maho inhaled deeply and rubbed her forehead. "When we were little, before we got taken away from mom, I remembered how she told us about how everything got this way."

"I don't remember a story like that."

"You were so young then. You forgot. I was a bit older. I remembered it all. She told us that something in America happened that made everything like this. A place called New Mexico is what I think she said. In some science lab. An experiment went wrong, I suppose, and it made it so that the Combine could invade Earth. If you think it's bad here, with American being ground zero, it's a whole different hell over there. Utter destruction. The _Graff_ _Zepplien_ is most certainly destroyed. And all hands are surely lost."

"Oh...I understand." Miho said quietly.

After enduring a brief silence, Yukari then cleared her throat. "Ah, um. I think it's time for me to take my leave. Ladies, see you later."

"I'll see you out." Miho said.

She walked with Yukari to the door and leaned in close for a whisper.

"Tomorrow, during our walks is when we get things started."

_The Following Day_

The sun was bright and business within the Enclave was as usual. Civil Protection's presence was as rife as ever. Everybody who lived in the Enclave was used to it. But it didn't mean they liked it. Miho and Yukari were on another of their walks. Though, this time, there had a more clandestine reason for it. Yukari had led Miho to another housing block some distance away from her own. They entered and on the ground floor, they approached a door and knocked on it. It opened thereafter after a minute.

"Yukari...I was sleeping." Mako complained.

"Sorry. But this is important."

"...If you say so."

They entered her unit and got comfortable.

"So," Mako started. "What is this important matter?"

"I'll explain once everyone else arrives." Miho said.

"Oh?"

"Hana and Saori are on their way."

"Why bring them? What is going on?"

"Something important. Just be patient."

The three girls sat around for a few minutes when the door knocked again. Mako went up to answer it and saw them. They were unmistakable. Despite everything, Hana has managed to look as elegant as ever, and Saori had a sunny disposition that never seemed to falter. Once everyone sat down, Miho was up standing and began explaining.

"We all understand that the status quo we are living under is terrible. This is no life to live for any of us," Her hands were now behind her back and was now pacing around the room. "It's intolerable. And it needs to change."

Yukari, being already on board with Miho, has a neutral expression. She looked around the room to gauge the reactions of the others. They all looked uneasy. Minds filled with anxiety.

"Change...how?" Mako said cautiously.

"Yukari has estimated the rough location of Ooarai's school ship. Onboard the ship is the tanks used for their sensha-do team. The plan is to head to that ship, find and prep the tanks, and organize a resistance."

Silence.

"I believe they are simpler methods of suicide." Mako then remarked.

"There's a line between ambition and pure lunacy, and I think you've crossed it" Hana noted.

"I...hmm...I could use some more details." Saori said

"The ship, maybe, is one hundred and fifteen kilometers away from shore. It'll require a multiday hike through the dried seabed to reach it.

"Wait, did you say maybe?" Mako said. "Are you implying that there is a chance isn't there?"

"Umm, yes," Yukari answered nervously. "It could be much farther away or...totally destroyed."

"So Miho's plan is all based on a hunch?" Hana asked.

"I will be honest with all of you," Miho said. "It's all a huge gamble. But it's a risk worth taking because if we're right...we can do what every single person, not just in this city, but throughout the world, wants to do. Fight back."

"One part of your plan that you've neglected to mention," Mako asked. "Is getting out of the Enclave to even start the hike to the ship. If it's there."

"People smuggle letters between the walls so that families remain in contact in some manner. If letters can, so can people."

"Woah. I've never heard of anyone getting smuggled out or in the Enclave. It's a fool's game." Mako said.

Saori cleared her throat. "Well, ah, that's not entirely true. Some people...actually have been smuggled out of the Enclave.

All eyes were on her.

"You're kidding," Yukari said to her.

"No, no, it's true. Not too far from where I live is where the smuggling goes down. We could...go and talk to them about doing it to us."

Everyone exchanged glances.

"Before that, I just want to know everyone's commitment," Miho told them all. "I'm not going to force you to do this because of the huge danger it entails. If you want no part in this, you can leave. I won't judge you one bit."

Miho looked at them to see if any would make a move to leave, but to her surprise, none of them did. They were all nervous, and scared, but, felt that this was something worth trying.

"Hmm. If I'm going to die, it might as well be for something good." Mako said.

"A chance to see my mother again, no matter how small, is worth it to me." Hana declared.

"Yeah, why not?" Saori said. "I'll just have to tell my boyfriends that I'll be gone for some time and-"

"Saori. You don't have any boyfriends." Mako told her.

"Y-yeah. Well. What do you know, huh?!" She shot back. "Anyway, ah, let's get going. The smugglers aren't busy today so it's the ideal time to go and talk to them."

* * *

Out on the streets, an officer was on patrol. Wherever she went, citizens of the Enclave gave her a wide berth. No one wanted any trouble. This suited Erika just fine. It meant that she didn't have to go up to anyone and do her job. A job that she had long regretted signing up for but was stuck. There were only two ways to get out of Civil Protection. One was to become a soldier of the Overwatch. A process that requires transmutations that involves various surgeries that strip away at one's humanity to become obedient, and expendable, soldiers of the Combine. That option was out of the question. The other way to leave Civil Protection was through a body bag. With neither options being particularly attractive, Erika had no choice but to stick with the job. As she did her patrols, she was thinking. Why, oh why did she join in the first place? The same reason anyone else did. To get a decent meal. It was no secret that members of Civil Protection have a better standard of living. In addition to better rations, they live in better housing and, if they have family, remain 'cohesive', as Overwatch put it. Before joining, she had a deplorable housing unit with the wallpaper peeling off the walls, with certain sections having the bare wood exposed, mold was on the ceiling, and the food was flavorless. Now, she was living in a marginally better unit and ate food that had the ghost of flavor. And all it cost was the respect of all her friends.

It wasn't worth it.

She'll never forget when Maho first learned that she joined. It was the last time she spoke with her.

_"How can you do this? Just how? Don't you see what they do to people? The beatings, the humiliation, the abuse. Why do you want to be with them? I...I just don't understand."_

_"_ _Maho..."_

_"_ _You know what? Don't give me your explanation. I don't care. Traitor. You're dead to me. Don't you ever speak to me again and god help you if you ever touch my sister."_

She tries not to think about that conversation but it always manages to pop up from time to time and when it does, it feels like she's been stabbed with a burning hot knife fresh from a furnace. To say that she hated herself would be a massive understatement. It was very fortunate that Civil Protection mandated the return of her weapons for storage at the end of shifts before heading home. Guns and alcohol go together like fire and dynamite. She turned another corner, walking down an alley when her radio came alive.

"Jury-12, report to the nearest checkpoint immediately."

She sighed internally.

"10-4, en route."

Turning right around, she went straight to a nearby checkpoint. There, she saw a congregation of several cops. More than usual. It made her curiosity spike. Among them was a high ranked member.

"The regional administrator plans on enacting a plan for the Enclave of City-33. As this area is the only place in the world with people under the age of eighteen, and since the parents of these children are just beyond the wall, he has seen fit to initiate a mass deportation of them."

"Deported where?" Erika asked.

"The details of the plan are not yet concrete. The logistics are still being worked upon. Though what is known is they will be deported to a mining operation to extract metals for the further construction of Hunter-Choppers. The regional administrator notes that their smaller nature will make them well suited for the narrow mines."

"How soon will the deportations start?"

"Can't say. Not for two weeks, at the minimum. Lots of preparations to be done to ensure a smooth execution of the operation. You've all been briefed. Resume your patrols."

The other cops started to depart.

"Oh, and this counts as your break." the high-ranked cop informed.

* * *

At a housing block that looked like every other in the Enclave, Miho and her friends made their arrival. Saori entered the door first and led them down a hallway. The sound of all of their footsteps echoed throughout. They followed her down some stairs and before another door. Knocking on it, a slit opened revealing eyes.

"We're not doing smuggling today. Come back tomorrow. Thanks."

The slit closed

"Sodoko, we're not here for smuggling. Just for a chat."

The slit opened again.

"Oh, alright. But not for too long. We're still busy when not smuggling."

The door opened and they all entered. They found themselves in the basement of the housing unit. It was relatively clean apart from one section where the concrete has been torn apart, with a hole going down and away. Miho stood at the edge of the hole and looked down. There was a ladder that led to the bottom which was shrouded with darkness.

"So, this is where the smuggling takes place?" she asked.

"Yes. A tunnel that goes straight under the wall and into City-33 proper. There is a station right on the other side to receive us. There, we get things like letters and other gifts from parents to their children and vice versa." Sodoko explained.

"How far does it go?"

"A kilometer?"

"Really? That far?" Yukari spoke up. "Wouldn't it easier to make the tunnel under a building next to the wall."

"If the cops ever started to suspect a tunnel, the first places they would look are buildings by the wall. We run a strict operation here and will not compromise on security. That is why we don't do smuggling every day. On days we don't do it, we use the time to monitor patrols both here and out of the Enclave to see if their behavior changes and adapt accordingly."

"So, do you just go down and walk to the other side?"

"It's not that simple. Once you get far enough, you'll have to crawl on your belly to make it to the other side."

"Crawl!?"

"It's less work on our regard to dig the tunnel," Sodoko said, now pointing to a wall. "Look there at all those shovels and pickaxes. Each and every one of them is dull and their wood handles cracked. We don't have the means to enlargen the tunnel even if we wanted too."

"Well, we're in no position to complain. Especially with everything you've already done for everyone."

"Anyway, you're only here because you require our services. What do you want to be smuggled?"

"Us." Miho said, gesturing to all of her friends.

"Figures..." Sodoko muttered, turning her gaze to the floor.

"What's the matter? Saori said you've smuggled people before."

"True. We've smuggled Satoko and her friends to the other side the previous month. It was an endeavor, though."

"Satoko, huh?" Miho remarked with some surprise. "I always thought that she got arrested since I never saw her again."

"Nope. She and her friends wanted to leave and risk it in the city. Last I heard, they're still alright. Haven't been caught but have to constantly hide in their warehouse of theirs."

"What are they doing over there?"

"Ah, they're mechanics. They seem to have a knack for cars and such. They fix up vehicles for the adults, and they hide them and give them supplies and treats."

"Mechanics, hmm? Sounds like once we're in the city, we're gonna give them a visit."

"What's the reasoning behind this? Visiting parents?"

"We're going to the last known position of Ooarai's school ship and see what we can find."

Sodoko gave Miho a perplexed expression. "Are you all in a suicide pact or something?"

"No. We plan to find the tanks on that ship and get them up and running to stage a resistance."

"Resistance!" Sodoko exclaimed. "So, it is suicide!"

"Sodoko, are you going to help us or not?"

She paced around a bit and then hesitantly nodded.

"Fine. We'll all smuggle you to the city. Two days from now. Be ready then."

"Thank you, Sodoko, we will."

"You know, Nishizumi, even if you all manage to get out of the city undetected, even if you manage to get to that school ship, and even if you manage to get those tanks operational, doing so will only make you the Combine's greatest target on this planet and they'll focus on you. I mean, the only way for all of you to have a ghost of a chance is to have the mother of all distractions to keep the Combine occupied!"

* * *

It was nice to be on top of the world. To wield so much power over every speck on land on the planet. To dictate what goes and what doesn't, and backed by the most powerful military force humanity will ever get to experience. And all of this for the betterment of mankind. That is, that's what Doctor Wallace Breen believes. The people down below in their squalor, will one day see what he sees and learn to climb the next step. Once they do, then their Benefactors will surely extend their goodwill to all of humanity. In his office high in the clouds, Breen was at his desk tending to his day-to-day tasks of administrating a whole planet. It was tranquil there. His desk of fine wood, polished wonderfully, resting on top a fancy rug that he went to some trouble to find. A scene that would look right at home in some Victorian home, if only it weren't so greatly contrasted with the advanced Combine technology in the room. As he worked silently, it appeared that this day will transpire like the last. Looking down at his console he was occupied, a sudden brilliant flash of green energy than manifested in the room, accompanied by a sound of distorted thunder. And in the middle of it was a man.

"What's the meaning of this?" he questioned angrily. "Who are you?"

As quickly as he came, the man then disappeared in another flash of energy. Once gone, Breen contemplated the fantastical phenomena that just occurred in his office when then he started to remember. The man in the energy was someone he knew. Turning around, he went to a terminal and pressed some buttons activating it. Once all the screens came on, he started communications and soon, on the screen, was a Combine Advisor. An ugly, insect larvae looking thing.

"Something extraordinary has just taken place in my office. Someone teleported in here, somehow."

The Advisor looked at him. It spoke no words, yet Breen could understand what it said.

"The man I saw, I'm all but certain—"

There was another energy manifestation behind him. All the screens of the terminal, including the one with the Advisor, then moved and turned to face the anomaly. Turning around himself, Breen looked at the man he recognized right in the eyes.

"Gordon Freeman."


	3. False Orbituaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deception has never been so hot.

"What is the next step, Miss Nishizumi?

It has been a day since Miho and her friends has visited Sodoko and secured passage to City-33 proper. She was with Yukari on the roof on her apartment complex, discussing the admittedly brazen plan that they all deadset on going through with. Yet, even with a way out of the Enclave, there were still more aspects of the overall plan that need addressing. Mainly, how they can keep the Combine from ever discovering their absence.

"Getting smuggled out isn't what I'm worried about, it's the consequences," Miho said. "Sooner or later, a population check with happen here, and when it does and they can't find us..."

"...They'll tear this place apart and interrogate _everyone_ trying to find where we went. The whole city will be out in alert, hell, the whole country." Yukari realized.

Miho nodded slowly, eyes closed. "People will get hurt...and worse."

"What do we do then? We're already committed to being smuggled...we're still committed right?'

"Yes, we are," Miho affirmed. She stood up and paced around the roof. Leaning against a railing, she looked out toward the cityscape. Up in the sky, the unmistakable figures of Hunter-Choppers patrols, more than usual. She briefly wondered why when she glanced down and laid her eyes upon an building that she knew full well was abandoned. An idea hit her. "The Combine will not look for us if they think we're dead."

"E-excuse me, Miss Nishizumi?" Yukari stammered, taken about over what was just heard.

"If we fake out deaths, the Combine wont ever think to look for us. So, the next time they do a population check of the Enclave, it'll just be another check. They'll be none the wiser."

Yukari looked at her for second. "How...do you suppose we do that?"

"We'll have to 'die' in a convincing way. They must never doubt that we're dead."

"I don't think mannequins will cut it then?"

"No, no," Miho said, head shaking. "It has to be more dramatic."

"Like what, a fire?"

Miho twirled around and pointed right at her. "Exactly!"

"I was partly kidding, Miss Nishizumi."

"Listen, Yukari, a fire would be the best option. We set it at that abandoned building over there and give it enough fuel to burn, and I mean _hot_. Hot enough that if an actual body there, it'd be totally cremated.

Yukari contemplated what Miho said and a faint grin appeared on her face. "You know, during my explorations in all these buildings around here, I've come across all sorts of interesting things. Like, gas cans and propane tanks...with fuel still in them."

Miho shot a smile at her. "Things like that will help quite nicely. Have Hana, Saori, and Mako help you get what you need. Choose a room and store everything in there in a pile. Tomorrow, before we head over to Sodoko's, we'll light it up. Oh, and try to find a lighter and a candle."

Yukari gave her a salute. "We'll get what we need, don't you worry? Though, what will you do in the meantime?"

"Talk to my sister." Miho said plainly.

"Oh..." Yukari remarked quietly. "How is she going to take it?

"She's going to hate it. She'll try to stop me. But I don't need her permission...no, not for this."

"Miss Nishizumi, perhaps I should stick around for a bit and back you up?"

Miho approached her friend. "Yukari, thank you for your offer. But this is a family matter. I need to do this on my own."

"I understand."

The two shared a quick embrace and they went on to perform their respective tasks, Yukari and the others fetching fuel, and Miho telling her sister of what they intend to do. She reentered her apartment complex and descended several flights of stairs to reach her floor. She walked at a slow pace, wanting every moment she could get to gather her thoughts and form a plan of action. As she got nearer to the floor, she then felt her stomach turn into knots, her heartrate increasing. Reaching her door, she placed her hand on the knob but did not yet turn it.

"I feel so sick," she whispered to herself.

She entered her unit and saw her sister sitting at a table, bored and looking off into space. She then looked at Miho upon noticing her. "Rooftop social hour all done now?" she asked her.

The joke got a small chuckle out of Miho. "Heh, yes...now I've...I've got something to tell you."

Miho sat at the table with her sister. Maho noted the rather serious expression on her and became a bit alarmed. "Whatever you are going to tell me, can't be good."

"My friends and I have been talking and we've made a decision," Miho started. She took a huge breath. "We're leaving."

Maho rose from where she sat to look down upon her little sister, mouth agape. She refused to believe she heard what she heard. "I did not just hear what you said, no...no, you did not say that."

"It's true. We're escaping, We're heading to Ooarai's school ship and see if they have tanks we can use."

Maho buried her face in her hands, aghast over what she heard. Her breathing became quick and anxious. "Have you gone utterly insane?!" she yelled, her voice strained. The amount of emotion coming out of Maho has surprised Miho. "No, absolutely not. You're not going anywhere."

Miho stood up as well. "I don't need your permission, though I would've preferred it."

Maho rushed her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What do you _mean_ you don't need my permission? I'm your older sister and you will obey whatever I tell you to do. And now, I'm telling you to STAY."

Both of their eyes were locked, unmoving. Miho noticed that out from Maho's eyes, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"No," Miho said with the utmost defiance. "My friends and I have already scheduled to be smuggled out tomorrow."

Maho let go of her and stumbled back into a chair. She was trembling, her gave averted down toward the floor, body filled with terror. "...Don't do this do me, Miho, I...I can't bare the thought of you getting hurt, or god-forbid getting _killed_."

"I'm not doing this to hurt you, I love you. But I need to do this."

"Need!?" Maho snapped at her. "You don't need to do this!"

"You said to me the other night that we'll see mom again one day. By doing this, what you said can come true."

"It's suicide, Miho!"

"Then what's the alternative?"

"We stay here, together."

"In that case, we won't see mom ever again."

"Miho—"

"This is happening, Maho," Miho declared. "This life we're living isn't a life to live for any human being."

"You could die."

"Then I die for something rather than nothing."

"Miho..." Maho said in low murmur. She was crying, her sniffles audible. "Don' put me in a situation where I have to write to mom about your death. I-I don't have the strength for that."

Miho walked up to her, seeing that her sister was on the verge of collapsing into sobs just barely holding on. Miho reached out and grabbed her sister's hand in a firm grip. She herself was keeping her emotions in check thus far, but seeing Maho in her state soon broke her as well.

"This is something I can actually choose to do," Miho told her. "A chance for all of us have better lives, a chance to see mom again."

Maho pulled her in for a hug that felt like it lasted for all eternity. She ran her fingers through her younger sister's hair. "God, be safe, please be safe." she told her, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"We all will."

"Wait, what about the population checks?" Maho then realized.

"We're going to fake our deaths."

The answer actually got a chuckle out of Maho with the faintest trace of a smile on her face. "Heh, guess you got all your bases covered. Do you want me to do anything?"

"Just have faith that we'll turn."

"I will. Though, for now, what will you do?"

"Right now..." Miho said, walking toward the mattress on the floor. "I'm going to turn in early. I'm going to need all the energy I can have for tomorrow."

Maho joined her and the two sisters rested on the mattress together, in each other's arms. As they drifted off to sleep, tears still dripped down their cheeks as they spent possibly their last night together. Within their hearts was the heavy, toxic weight of fear. Along with a hint of hope.

_The Next Day_

Once the daylight streaking through the window hit Miho's face, she woke up. All throughout the night, her older sister still hugged as fiercely as she did the previous day. Her movements roused Maho from her slumber. They both looked at each other.

"It's time, isn't it?" Maho questioned, though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want to be late to my own funeral, would I?"

They both stood up and Miho started to make for the door.

"Wait," Maho called out to her. "Aren't you going to take any supplies?"

"There's a station on the other side that receives people. We'll get supplies then. For now, it's better to travel light."

"Still, I would feel a lot safer if you bring this one thing," Maho said. She went to another room where she lifted up a floorboard, retrieving a stashed item. Returning, she presented it to Miho, who gasped upon seeing it. It was a 9mm pistol, the same model Civil Protection uses, along with one magazine.

"Why do you have this? And how did you get it?"

"Months ago, some metro cop's car crashed because a rain storm made the street real slippery. The crash caused the contents within the car to scattered all over the place. I just happened to be walking by when I accidentally kicked a gun. Without even thinking, I grabbed it along with a magazine and ran home to stash it."

"What were you going to use it for and why didn't you tell me you had a gun lying around?"

"It was for in case our place got raided...a last line of defense. A chance to protect us. Being the eldest, it's my responsibility to protect you. I didn't know how'd you react to it, so I never told you."

"Well..." Miho muttered. "I would've preferred to be in the know."

"Now you are. This gun will serve you better than it could ever here with me," Maho said. She then showed off the gun. "Safety right by the trigger right here, seventeen round magazine."

The gun was handed to Miho. In her hand, she noticed that it was lighter than she thought. She slid the magazine into the gun, where it produced a satisfying click that filled the room. Now loaded, she ensured that the safety was engaged and holstered it securely and discreetly.

"Get those tanks Miho, and come back guns blazing."

Again, the two hugged. The grip they had on each other was iron tight in all regards. When they finally let go, it hurt like their souls were slashed with a whip.

"Good luck and be safe. I love you." Maho told her, fighting back tears.

"I love you too," Miho replied. "We'll come back. I promise."

With that, Miho left their unit. Maho remained where she stood, hands clasped, listening to the footsteps of her younger sister grow fainter and fainter, till they faded away altogether. Now shrouded in silence, she returned to the mattress and laid upon it. All she could do now was wait. And pray."

_Later_

"What the hell are we doing again?"

Mako stood in the center of a room within the abandoned building. All the while, her friends were piling up gas cans and propane tanks.

"Faking our deaths," Saori explained in a cheerful tone that made what they were all doing that more unusual.

"Okay...but why?"

"To trick the Combine. They won't even think to come after us if they think we're dead."

Mako sighed. "Alright. If that's what we gotta do. Burning things will be fun anyway."

A moment later, the sound of footsteps grabbed their attention. They all froze but to their relief, it was revealed that it was Miho.

"Ah! Miss Nishizumi! I hope the talk with your sister went well enough." Yukari greeted.

"It did," Miho told her. "I have her reluctant permission. Now, how are we doing?

"Great actually," Hana informed. "When Yukari said she found things, she certainly did. Just look at all these cans and tanks!"

"Very good," Miho said. She walked over to the far corner where everything was piled up. Waiting. "Alright, time for the next step. Follow me."

Miho led her friends to another room down the hall. This room, a former apartment, was in horrible shape. The floorboards were totting, windows long smashed, and the walls were in a such that the drywall was gone, exposing this white fluffy substance.

"We'll need this stuff to fuel the fire. People put them in walls for insulation, but it's very itchy if they touch them with your bare hands, and not very healthy to breathe in the particles they give off. Let's get prepped."

The girls slipped on gloves, tied cloths around their mouths and wore goggles, then proceeded to rip off the insulation from the walls and carried them back to the room with the gas and propane. They went back and forth, moving as quickly as they could. With the five of them, the walls were soon stripped bare of its insulation. Back in the main room, the floor was filled with large strips of insulation, so much so that it was nigh impossible to not step on one when walking around.

"This'll do." Miho noted.

"Well, if we're just about done, let's get cooking!" Saori exclaimed. She reached into her pocket and got out the lighter, activating it. She was about to throw it on a piece of insulation when then Miho grabbed her arm.

"Eh?"

"We're not done yet," Miho told her. She retreated to a nearby kitchen and came back with a knife. She brought it to her hair and cut off a sliver. "Our hair will be what the Combine finds to confirm out deaths. We scatter them around the buildings, where they will find it."

The rest looked at the knife and understood what had to be done. Miho passed it around and each cut off pieces of their hair. It was scattered in the adjacent rooms so that they wouldn't be totally destroyed in the ensuring blaze.

"Alright, now we burn!" Saori exclaimed, preparing to throw the lighter. This time, Miho snatched it out of her hands.

"If we light it up now, we could get caught in it," Miho explained. She turned to Yukari. "You got the candle?"

Yukari proudly presented the item in question. "You ask, I deliver!"

"Thank you very much."

Miho was handed the candle and lit it with the lighter. She placed it carefully on a strip of insulation that was next to the gas and propane.

"The candle will buy us time to leave discreetly. Once the wick burns all the down, it'll ignite the insulation which will grow a flame that will consume everything. Once it gets hot enough, the gas and propane will blow," she informed. The lighter in her hand was then dropped on the floor. "The lighter will survive the fire. It'll be the cause of our 'deaths'.

"Hey, ah, that wick sure is burning fast." Hana noted with some nervousness.

Looking back at the candle, Miho saw that the wick has already gone through a quarter of the candle. "That's our cue to leave. We can't keep Sodoko waiting much longer anyway."

They all left the room and made their way to the ground floor. One by one, they exited the building as traveling in a group could bring suspicion upon them. As an extra precautionary measure, each girl traveled a different route to arrive at smuggling place. Behind them, the abandoned building was entering the final stage of its life for the girls did a better job than they thought. The speedy wick tore through the candle and once the flame touched the insulation, it was lit ablaze, happily consumed by the ever-growing fire. The flames climbed up the walls and soon spread to other rooms, an easy task when they wasn't any doors to stop it. Thick smoke billowed out from every and any opening it can find to the outside. It wasn't long before the fire wrapped the gas and propane in its destructive embrace.

Elsewhere, in a part of the Enclave wasn't too terribly far away, Sodoko and her friends were at the smuggling place, underground. They were anxiously waiting when a knock at the door seized their attention. Sodoko went to the door and opened the slit, seeing Saori standing right outside.

"Good, you're here. Where are the others?"

"Ah...they're," Saori began. Right before she could finish, footsteps were head followed by the rest of her friends. "...Right here!"

"Okay, let's get this done."

The door was opened and everyone was let in. As people got ready, Miho peered into the dark tunnel, mentally preparing for what was to come.

"The station on the other side has been informed and ready to receive you. They'll make sure you'll reach Satoko and her group. How they can help with your crazy school ship plan, I dunno."

"Just supplies will be fine."

Sodoko handed her a glowstick. "It'll light your way. Along the tunnel floor is a rope. Follow it and you'll reach the other side. Remember, at a certain point, you'll have the crawl."

"We all appreciate what you all do here, not just for us, but for the entire Enclave."

"Eh, we're just doing our job," Sodoko said with a wave of her hand. "You ought to get going now. Combine patrols are on edge for some reason but this isn't the first time so it isn't something to be too concerned ab—" Her talking was interrupted by the sound of a muffle explosion from several blocks away. "What the hell was that?"

"Oh, that is something _you_ shouldn't be concerned about, Sodoko," Miho explained calmly as she climbed down to the tunnel. "We just died, that's all."

_That Night_

Civil Protection all congregated in front of what was a building. They first received reports of flames and not long after was an explosion heard throughout the Enclave. Metro cops descended on the scene and saw that the building was being ravaged by flames with a section of it being blown out, scattering pieces of rubble onto the street below. Before Civil Protection could conscript the local population to extinguish the fire, the old and fragile building collapsed on itself, utterly destroyed. This action proved to be for the benefit of the metro cops as when the building collapsed, the falling rubble smothered the flames. Now relatively safe, members of Civil Protection proceed to examine the remains to determine a cause. Supervising it all was a sargent.

"This was an abandoned building," he remarked, the vocoder in his mask disguised his voice in a scratchy, radio-like tone. "How did it catch on fire?"

"Unclear sir," a cop reported. "We have officers interrogating nearby citizens to determine if they noticed anything peculiar."

"I want that done quick. If this is the action of some brewing resistance, we need to clamp down on it fast and hard."

A moment later, another cop approached the sargent. "Look sir," he said, presenting hair in his hands. "Biological material. They are charred but not enough to make analysis impossible."

"Good," the sargent replied. He then turned to a cop who was just standing idly by. "Jury-12, have these material analyzed. More will be sent your way should more be found."

"...Yes sir, right away." Erika complied. She was given the hair and went straight to a nearby Civil Protection car. Inside, she placed the hair in a tube, pressed some buttons, and short seconds later saw the results on the screen.

_DNA DETECTED - MATCH FOUND_

_Takebe, Saori_

Erika read the name, "That's one of Miho's friends...damn."

A cop came round and delivered more hair that was found. She analyzed them

_MATCH FOUND_

_Reizei, Mako_

_Isuzu, Hana_

_Akiyama, Yukari_

"Oh my god. All her friends are dead..."

Erika reclined in her seat to gather her thoughts. What a tragedy, she thought. How will Miho react to such horrible news? It was then that Erika noticed that there was one more hair sample to analyze. Grabbing it, she held it close to her eyes and though it was charred, could still see that it was brown. Her hands began to shake.

"No...please...no..."

She tested the sample and when the results came, was absolutely mortified.

_MATCH FOUND_

_Nishizumi, Miho_

She stared at the screen utterly motionless. Not a word could escape her mouth as untold sorrow and heartbreak filled her body. She didn't want to accept this but could not deny the evidence right before her eyes. She wanted to run off somewhere private, where she could be alone to cry and drink away the immense pain she was feeling right now. But she had a job to do. A job that she hated but could not leave. Out of the car, she returned to her sargent.

"F-five fatalities, sir." Erika reported. "All from the Enclave."

"Acknowledged. And what more, we found this," her sargent shared, showing a mangled lighter. "I now know what happened. Some stupid kids were playing around with this lighter where they then accidentally lit up something flammable. They got trapped by the flames when something exploded. They must've been at the epicenter because we can't find their remains. Most likely obliterated."

 _"Stupid kids."_ Erika echoed in her mind. It took every fiber of her body not to get out her gun and shoot her sargent dead where he stood. But that would only result in her getting gunned down by all the cops here. The rash action wouldn't change anything, it wouldn't get Miho back.

"Since all signs point to an accident," her sargent continued. "Then it isn't some new resistance as we feared. So, all activity is to resume as normal," he then throw the mangled lighter onto the rubble. "No need to clean this mess. Just let it lay here."

Civil Protection members dispersed back to their usual positions across the Enclave. Erika lingered until she was the only person there. She walked up to the foot of the rubble and fell to her knees as her sorrow has brought her down. With no one watching, she took of her face bask and let her tears flow, hitting the ground. She sobbed quietly to herself, over the burnt remains of the building. The emotional pain that she was going through was so great that she felt her heart physically recoil and ache. Her mind, a tumultuous place of regret, depression, woe, and loneliness, just had a tornado rampage through. The little sister of the girl she still loved was dead.

.

.

.

At least.

That's what she thought.


	4. Living. Breathing. Contraband

Once Yukari stepped of the ladder, all five girls were not at the bottom of the tunnel. Ahead of them was pitch black darkness. They all stood where they were, motionless as if they had all suddenly become statues. In all their minds was a wide range of emotions, each vying for control but quite coming close. Fear. Anxiety. Trepidation. Dread. And to compound it all was that there was no turning back. None of them could go back the ladder they had just used and go home. In the eyes of the Combine, they were all dead and going back would undo all the work they've done to fake their deaths. Them reappearing now would only bring untold retribution to the Enclave, their desire of relative safety at home to never transpire. Such retribution they cannot allow, therefore, the only option for all of them lied directly ahead. For a chance, the slimmest of chances, to carve out a better life for everyone.

Miho was in front of them and with a snap activated the glow stick, giving off a soft green glow that made the rope on the ground just barely visible.

"About one kilometer of waling," Miho reminded them. "And at some point we'll have to crawl."

"A lengthy walk with the walls and ceiling steadily getting smaller. This little journey of ours is off to an fantastic start." Mako remarked, her face utterly deadpan.

"It'll only get better," Miho said with a little laugh. She bent down to pick up the rope and held it firmly. "Let's get going. The station on the other side is expecting us. It'd be rude to keep them waiting."

The group moved as one with Miho faithfully leading them. The rest too had glow sticks and the combined light was respectable enough. They remained close as they traveled as none wanted to fall behind to be left alone in the shadows. The air was damp and the odor reflected that. Their shoes sunk ever so slightly into the ground, leaving behind prints. Hana absentmindedly dragged her hand against the wall and would occasionally bump into the tunnel support beams. When she brought her hand close to her eyes, she saw that the dirt was faintly moistened. Groundwater around the tunnel has made it wet. Of course, none of them expected the tunnel to be a marvel of engineering. Though, the fact that for so long that it has served the Enclave without ever collapsing was proof enough that Sodoko and her friends can make a stable enough tunnel...still, the girls quickened their pace all the same.

They had no way in knowing the exact distance they have traveled so far, lacking any kind of device that would measure such a thing. The only indication that they have made considerable progress was when the lowering ceiling compelled them to hunch down. Before long, they were on their hands and knees to crawl forward."

"How lucky we are that none of us are wearing skirts," Saori remarked. "That'd be super embarrassing. Guess these boiler suits of ours has at least one positive."

"Yeah. Positive." Yukari responded, masking her disappointment as she just so happened to be behind Miho.

"This crawling is already starting to hurt." Saori went on.

"Hmm," Mako muttered. I thought you were well used to being on your knees."

"Mako!" Saori shouted. "Where did that come from? I thought we were friends!"

"We are. That's why I tease you whenever I can."

"What a great friend you are."

"I try."

The crawling continued for several more moments when Miho came to a stop, causing the rest to collide with each other.

"Miss Nishizumi?" inquired Yukari.

"When they mean crawl, they really mean it." Miho noted.

"Well, yes—"

Before Yukari could finish what she was saying, Miho was on her stomach and slowly crawled forward as the tunnel has shrunk to a point that it was only a foot in height at best.

"Great," Saori complained. "As if we aren't dirty enough."

"Aren't we always dirty?" Hana asked curiously. "Our apartment units don't have running water."

"Unlike you girls, I don't let anything stand in the way of me being clean. That's why I make soap."

"I have complaints about that soap of yours," Mako said. "It sucks."

"Soap is soap! It's better than nothing. Also, the excess soap I make I use to barter. Got some good stuff that way like extra rat—"

Miho popped out of the little crawl space, her face filthy with dirt.

"We're close. I see light. C'mon guys."

Eager to get of of the tunnel, the girls made rapid progress moving as fast as people on their stomachs can move. The light that Miho mentioned was seen by all, further increasing their excitement. The air smelled fresher and the sounds of a busy cite grew louder. Miho, being at the front of the group, was the first to reach the other end of the tunnel. A ladder was there and she started to climb up it when a pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her out. She was startled momentarily when she then realized it was, thankfully, not a member of Civil Protection. But a man wearing clothes identical to hers' with a black beanie on his head. He brought a finger to his mouth.

"Talk in whispers," he said, nearly inaudible. "Cops outside by the street corner. More than usual. Don't know why. Get the rest up _quickly_."

Miho nodded and proceeded to do what she was told. Meanwhile, the man went off up a flight of stairs to look out a tinted window. Below and down the street were a group of metrocops standing by a car. They were just idling about, perhaps taking a break, but there presence was enough to generate fear and anxiety in a several block radius. He looked at them for half a minute before returning back downstairs. There the girls were out of the tunnels, crouched, waiting for further instruction.

"Something has spooked the cops," he told them in a whisper. "It was business as usual the other day when all their activity ratcheted up."

"A building in the Enclave did explode." Miho informed.

"Nah, can't be that. Their behavior changed before that."

"Does this complicate things?"

"It does as there is more damn cop patrols. But I've been in hairy situations. I'll still take you where you need to go...which is...?"

"I hear that Satoko and her friends arrived here sometime last month and are in some warehouse in the city as being mechanics."

"Oh, those little grease monkeys?" the man said with a smile. "Yeah, they've been a great help around here. What's your purpose for visiting them?"

"To help us prep for a hike."

The man looked at her perplexed, then shrugged.

"Well, I suppose being in the Enclave for so long would make anyone desperate for the simple things."

"How are we gonna make it to their warehouse?" Mako questioned. "Can't just walk there."

"Right," the man said with a nod. "Follow me."

He led the girls up the the ground floor. There were in a garage of some sort. Before the war, it used to be a place where trucks and vans came for repair and maintenance. This was known by the rusty tools hanging on the wall and a pile of punctured tires by a support pillar. More obviously was the truck whose bed was filled with crates.

"The cops allow very _very_ few people to drive. Getting a license is damn near impossible as they are extremely selective. I've barely managed to get one and now I have the distinct honor of ferrying crates to various Combine facilities around the city. All for a few spare rations."

Miho noted the heavy sarcasm in his voice.

"I didn't know the Combine allowed regular citizens to do such jobs."

"Dunno how it is for every city, but the regional administrator made it a policy to have citizens play their part in the 'stabilization and advancement of the new world order'. Right. In truth, we're just being complicit in our own oppression."

"Then why be a driver in the first place?"

"Because me and many others can use their policy to our advantage. Be on the inside and do some sabotage here and there. Nothing big to attract attention, but enough to slow them down. Anything to challenge their belief they are really in control."

The sound of a passing patrol car made them all stand still in anxious silence.

"We need to get you girls moving." he then said.

The man approached one of the trucks and climbed on to its bed and moved some crates around. On the floor of the bed was a hatch that once open revealed a hiding space.

"Trucks like these have been modified to have a secret compartment for all sorts of things we want to get to places without those cops knowing. It should be big enough for all five of you."

Saori peered into the compartment.

"We'll be all crammed in there."

"Never said it'll be comfortable so you girls will just have to tough it out. It's a half hour drive to where you want to go."

"If it's what we got to do, it's what we gotta do."

The girls piled into the hiding space and just as they all expected, felt incredibly cramped as all their bodies rubbed against each other. Any skin that they had exposed shivered upon touching the cold metal. They all could feel each other breathe.

"Thirty-ish minutes," the man reminded them. "I'll get you guys there, don't you worry. It'll be a bit uncomfortable though."

Before any of them could respond, he closed the hatched, shrouding them all in darkness. They then heard the sounds of crates being placed on top of them. Sealing them in. The girls remained silent for a solid minute as the man outside got into the truck and turned it on. The vibrations from the engine shook them and soon the odor of the exhaust fumes filled the air. With a lurch, the truck set out toward its destination. Here, it was where Miho and the rest felt an intense feeling of anxiety as here, how the situation plays out was totally out of their control. If things take a turn south, then there is nothing they can do to change their fates. Their freedom, if they ever had any to begin with, was in jeopardy. Their survival even. Now, it all rested upon a man they had scarcely known for ten minutes. All they could do at the present moment, packed like sardines, was to hope that when that hatch opened it they were weren't greeted with gun barrels.

With driver's licenses extremely rarely given out, the streets of City-33 weren't congested, not at all like how it was before the war where cars, trucks, bikes, vans, and all other manner of vehicles filled the streets going about their business. And that's not to mention the immense volume of people who go to and fro, each one as different from the last in their personality and appearance. The Seven Hour War changed all of this. In every worse possible way. An unimaginable people perished during this cataclysmic event, not just from the Combine, but also from all the bizarre and hostile alien fauna from the mysterious border world named Xen. Though, with all the traumatizing carnage, destruction, and other catastrophes, there was one casualty from all of that that was the most difficult to bare. The loss of individuality.

In every city under Combine control, the humans that lived there all wore the same clothes and all had the same faces. Miho would recall all the times her and Yukari would have their walks in the Enclave and whenever they passed other people, their behavior can be best described as monotonous. Never changing and absent of any emotion. Save for a sense of hopelessness. It was something Miho, with the utmost determination, wanted to change. To give them a reason to look forward to tomorrow.

Her thoughts then shifted to what laid outside the truck. Of course, none of them could see out of their hiding place and the sounds of the engine overpowered all other surrounding noises to give Miho a better idea of what was outside. But, despite it all, she could feel that people were walking by one the sidewalks. Not crowds, but not totally vacant. She wondered if one of the people who were walking could be her mother, going about her routine to get by just as she did. Her heart fluttered at such a thought and for a brief moment in time she felt an overwhelming urge to burst out of the hiding spot and run off to her mother. If she was there, anyway. The urge faded away as quickly as it came and she breathed to relax her beating heart.

"How long do you guys thing it's been?" Saori asked in a whisper.

"Twelve minutes." Mako responded.

"How did you come to that?"

"I've been counting...and now talking to you has made me lost my train of thought."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine, it's fine."

"Are you sure? You don't sound like it's fine."

"It's. _Fine_."

"Okay okay, whatever you say."

The truck then came to a stop, with its engine being turned off a moment later. The girls tensed up and went dead silent. The cause to their halt was a checkpoint with a squad of cops stationed there. It was nothing short of intimidation. The Combine architecture clashed strongly with the buildings it was attached to. A blue energy field blocked further travel and if that wasn't enough a deterrent, on top of the energy field was a battlements where a pair of cops were behind mounted machine guns. At street level was a few more cops, visibly armed. For the man driving the truck, though, this was nothing unusual. One of the cops approached the driver's side door. The man rolled down the window.

"State your business." commanded the cop.

"Transporting cargo from Supply Depot-26 to Maintenance Facility-7. I got the manifest right here."

He gave the cop the manifest who snatched it out of his hands and started to scrutinize it. Several tense moments elapsed when it was then given back.

"Submit to inspection."

"Sure...like I got a choice...anyway."

The cop made a gesture which was a signal to another to climb onto the truck's bed to search through the crates. One after another were pried open and had its contents inspected. The girls, hidden underneath, could here the work of the cop and they were well aware that it was indeed a cop that stood over them from the inaudible radio chatter. They scarcely moved.

The man sat patiently in his seat. Waiting for the inspection to come to an conclusion. He felt confident as he has had his truck inspected numerous times before, with a good amount of them having people in the hidden space. Still, he always felt a tinge of anxiety. What helped him calm down was to chat with the cops. Try to, anyway.

"I bet your job has a lot of overtime."

No response.

"Yeah, you probably do. Hope the union gets you good benefits."

Nothing. One cop did turn their head toward him.

"How's the wife, pal?"

The cop activated their electric baton and aimed it at him.

"Not the talkative type, I take it?"

A moment later, the cop that was inspecting his truck hopped off and gave their colleague a nod. The energy field was then shut off.

"Proceed to your destination. Do not deviate from the path as specified in your manifest or you'll be subject to a more _thorough_ inspection.

"Yes sir. Or Ma'am. Those vocoders of yours makes figuring you guys out tricky."

"Get lost."

"Got it. Don't work too hard."

The truck was restarted and drove on. The sensation of travel put the girls in relative ease, they finally allowed themselves to breathe. During the search, they all had clasped hands with each other and only now did they realize just how hard they had their grips. Miho couldn't see her hand due to the darkness, but she could feel that when Yukari gripped her hand, it left a mark. It was okay, though, as she most certainly did the same to her.

For several more minutes the truck drove toward its goal. Past citizens trying their best to look as inconspicuous as possible, Civil Protection members harassing those at the slightest provocation, and buildings in various stages of decay. Not at all different at how it is in the Enclave, just that instead of children, it was the adults that were victimized.

There was concern that Civil Protection would stop the truck again, even if it was already inspected, like that even mattered though. This concern, every bit reasonable, thankfully, never materialized as the truck pulled into its destination. The man got out of his truck and then pointed to two other men in the garage who were organizing some tools.

"I got five packages here!"

The others understood what he really meant by 'packages', coded language used to mean people who were being smuggled. One of the men went to the controls for the garage doors and closed them all. The other went window to window to peak out to look for any signs of Civil Protection before he closed the blinds on them. With the outside world shut off, the three men worked to get the crates unloaded and finally open the hatch.

"Good trip?" he asked them.

"Sardines in a can had more wiggle room than we did," Mako remarked as she got out and stretched. "Guess it beats walking though."

"We appreciate the trip," Miho told him. "Now, where is Satoko and her friends?"

"Around." the man said. "Like you, they too must hide. Follow me."

The maintenance facility had a sub-floor that would normally serve as extended storage for all manner of things. Normally accessed by a stairwell, it has long collapsed, with rubble completely rendering unusable as a result from the chaos of the war. As an alternative, a vertical shaft was dug through the concrete floor that led directly to the sub-floor with accompanying hatch and ladder for ease of climbing. A hollow crate was placed over the hatch and surrounded by other empty crates to hide its presence. They were removed and the hatch was now exposed.

"They are under there," he explained to them. "During the day they live in the sub-floor, sleeping, while during the night they get out and do their thing. Fixing trucks and such. Since you girls want to talk with them, we'll have to wake them. Gently."

Before Miho could protest, the man grabbed a wrench from a nearby shelf and whacked the hatch repeatedly, the clangs echoing throughout building.

"T-This is gentle?!" Miho said with shock.

The man whacked a few more times then stopped. He had a smile on his face as he could hear the sound of furious ladder climbing followed by the opening the hatch.

"WhatWhatWhat!" Satoko yelled out. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Visitors. For you." the man said, using his eyes to gesture toward Miho and the rest.

Satoko looked at the direction he referred to and her eyes widened and her fury vanished. She climbed out of the shaft and rushed over to Miho.

"Oh my god, you guys chanced it!" she exclaimed, giving them all hugs.

"A-ha...yes, ah, we did," Miho stammered out. "Only recently did we find out where you guys went. I thought you got arrested and...well, assumed the worst."

"Well we had to leave so suddenly. We have to keep as much people in the dark as possible to keep us safe. It's not that we don't trust people back in the Enclave, but we all know the extent the Combine is willing to go to get information."

"So, did you guys fake your deaths too?" Saori asked.

"Nope. Back in the Enclave, Hoshino found a cop car unattended, its doors open. The cops who drove it must've been raiding some building. She was curious, maybe even a bit stupid, but whatever she was feeling at that moment, she approached the car, found the computer, looked up our names, and erased them. She ran back to tell us and a day later we got the hell outta there."

"That's one way to get around those population checks," Miho said with an approving nod. "I hear you've been doing alright for yourself.

"Yup! Fixing up trucks at night and getting showered in treats every now and then."

"A better life than what you guys had in the Enclave."

"No doubt. So, what made you decide to risk it and come out here?"

"A chance to have everyone have a better life. I'll explain it all with your friends. They're awake, yes?"

"Awake and annoyed. But they'll be happy to see you."

They climbed down the shaft to the sub-floor where the rest of Satoko's friends laid in makeshift beds. Upon seeing the new arrivals, their moods took a one-eighty and every girl there exchanged pleasantries and hugged. Miho gathered them all and explained their purpose of leaving the Enclave. About Ooarai's school ship and it's store of armored fighting vehicles just waiting to be found and used to start a resistance. Miho braced for their reaction, expecting it to be like the other times when she shared her plan, of people telling her it was some extravagant way to commit suicide. But instead, Satoko and her friends had visible excitement on their faces.

"Oh, I _love_ the sound of this," Satoko remarked. "Highly risky but...if you can pull it off...man."

"The last time there was kind of meaningful resistance ended in slaughter," Hoshino then spoke up. "Still, the damage they did to the citadel and more importantly to the suppression field made it possible for a brief time for our parents to have us. And back then the resistance didn't have tanks to back them up. Another resistance with some armored cavalry can just be what people need to successfully revolt."

"So, will you help us?" Miho asked them.

"Yes!" the mechanics exclaimed in unison and glee.

"We just ask for one thing in return." Satoko then said.

"What's that?"

"Save a tank for us, will ya?"

"Of course! The more the merrier."

"Awesome. Now, how can we help you exactly?"

"First thing firsts, you got a map around here?"

"Uhh, I think so. Hold on."

Satoko rummaged around their space, going through shelves and boxes, pushing things away. The sound of a paper being grabbed was heard and she promptly.

"Knew we had it here somewhere. It is an old map though."

"Yes. I see an ocean that's no longer there." Mako remarked.

"It'll work fine, thank you." Miho said.

The map was on a table where they all examined it. With the help of a ruler and a pencil, Yukari drew a path from the former Port of Tokyo to the approximate location of Ooarai's school carrier. A line a few inches long that represented one-hundred and fifteen kilometers.

"That's one hell of a hike you guys," Satoko remarked with a hand on her chin. "Several days of walking for sure."

"And with the water gone, you'll be walking what is now a desert," Suzuki informed. "So you'll have to travel by night or risk heat stroke."

"Then there is the matter of getting on the ship once you get there."

"If it's even there." Mako interjected.

"Yeah. If. But let's be optimistic here and say it's there at the spot Yukari approximated to be. It's a massive thing so just getting on board will be just as challenging as getting there."

"Hmm," Miho hummed. "All those years sitting in the sun wouldn't do the metal that makes up its hull any favors, would it?"

Satoko saw where she was going.

"Riiight. And since it's been exposed to oxygen for so long, it's no doubt rusty. Nice and weak. Weak enough to cut your way through with torches."

Hana rose a hand.

"The trip there will no doubt be demanding. What help can you girls give to make it less so?"

"Water for one," Satoko said. "We have a bit of a surplus here to give you guys. For rations, we'll have to procure more. We'll just have to fix more trucks than usual so that won't be a problem. Now, they'll most likely be some dangerous animals out there so you'll need something to defend yourselves."

Miho pulled out the pistol from her waist and laid it on the table. Everyone started at it.

"Okay," Satoko said after a few moments. "You're packing. Still, you guys will need weapons that don't require ammo to work. Tsuchiya, got any ideas about that?"

"Oh I got just the thing. But," a yawn interrupted her speech. "Can we do that later tonight? I'm tired."

"Gotcha. We'll do more prepping later. Miho, you and your friends must be tired after your travels. Get some rest."

"Isn't it the middle of the afternoon?" Saori remarked curiously.

"It's the same thing as midnight for us. We more productive at night anyway."

"Some sleep would do us good," Hana said. "What we've been through today was tiring."

"Alright, I'll just set up some beds and...oh wow."

Upon hearing the word 'rest', Mako already prepared herself a bed and was already fast asleep. The rest prepared their own beds near her, which were layers of protective padding mechanics use to lay on the concrete floor more comfortably, and laid upon them. The light was turned off and since they were underground, the sounds from the city outside was rendered inaudible. All the things associated with fear, the Hunter-Choppers, APCs, and other symbols of Combine oppression couldn't be heard. For Miho, the silence couldn't be more comforting, even if it wasn't guaranteed. It wasn't long before they all drifted asleep, to gather every ounce of energy for what tonight had it store for them. They were all now one step closer to Ooarai's school ship.

It can only get more dangerous from here.


End file.
